In a bid to satisfy Chinese consumers’ growing appetite for Korean goods, JD.com, China’s largest e-commerce platform, opened a direct sourcing office in Seoul, signaling a potential turnaround for Korean exports after years of post-pandemic stagnation. The announcement, delivered jointly by Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), comes as trade between the two Asian neighbors recalibrates around digital platforms and changing consumer habits. To celebrate the launch of JD.com’s new purchasing unit, government officials hosted a delegation of 12 senior executives from the Chinese e-commerce titan — led by Vincent Yang, vice chairman and head of cross-border business — for a high-level briefing and business matchmaking session at KOTRA headquarters in Seoul. The initiative arrives at a crucial inflection point. Exports across Korea's five primary consumer goods categories — cosmetics, food, fashion, household items and pharmaceuticals — had suffered a sustained downward slide following the pandemic. Howeve